Seru
Failey had been watching the lecturer for the better half of the day now, in silence and with little movement, avoiding catching his attention. However, now that he had discussed the finer points of cell reproduction, and had moved on to Enzyme breakdowns, she was bored. Her seat was made of a chemical based plastic and Failey sat rigid in it, the smell nauseating, staring with blank expressionless eyes at the short and balding man with the eagle beaked nose and the thick black rimmed glasses. He reminded her of a hairless mole scampering around in its hole at the front of the great lecture hall, and his irritating shrill voice bored into her mind. She sighed silently, glancing around the dark hall. She could see Nicky and Kyto two rows of seats behind her. Both of them were deep in hushed conversations, almost completely ignoring the lecturer.
Nicky spotted Failey's gaze and spared her a grin and a partially concealed wave. She smiled and nodded in return before returning her attention to the front. She could hear Kyto's deep voice snickering in hushed tones before they both seemed to die down. Failey turned to the bland clock above the lecture hall's imposing double doors and sighed again. She had another hour to go yet...
Finally it ended, the entire class of almost three hundred students was dismissed and Failey was one of the first to leave, not bothering to hide her eagerness.
"Hey Failey!" Kyto's voice sailed effortlessly over the top of the chatters and boisterous conversations of the other students. She stopped, turning to watch as Kyto and Nicky caught up with her. Kyto was by far one of the tallest people she knew, standing at an impressive 6"9. He had broad shoulders and spiked jet black hair with gorgeous midnight blue eyes and a wide impressive grin. His sultry voice and captivating charms made him almost irresistible to most women.
Nicky on the other hand was almost completely opposite to Kyto. Nicky was short and thin in the shoulders. He had a deep tan and bright fiery red hair and deep hazel eyes. He smiled, stroking his partial goatee as he often did, both of them stopping before Failey. She smiled, her teeth glinting delicately in the hall lights.
"Hey, what's up?" She said almost too casually. Kyto was the first to answer, interrupting Nicky.
"Not a whole heap, just wondering where you been lately. We didn't catch you on Saturday at Bone's party." Failey shrugged.
"Didn't really feel like going. Besides that, I had to study, unlike you." Kyto laughed his voice soothing and smooth. It was true though; Kyto was a natural genius and could guarantee a pass with little effort plus a few distinctions on the side. He was intelligent, and as a result, had been upped two classes during high school, making him one of the youngest in the university Biology classes, being only 17. Nicky, was not a natural and struggled through exams even with study. He often barely managed to scrape a pass, but was witty and cunning nonetheless and was always fast with a good joke or a wacky gag.
The three of them left the University Campus together, talking about almost everything that sprung to mind. The three of them had been friends for nearly 6 years now, since Failey had moved to Nikki Town in the Spice District. Nicky had made her feel welcomed and Kyto had become her closest friend. She was now 19 and finally in the process of achieving her life long dream of becoming a Biological Engineer.
The three turned a corner and headed towards the huge metal and glass building that was in fact the train station in the heart of Nikki Town. It was a twenty minute journey on the train, to the outskirts of Nikki Town to the place that Failey called home. Nicky and Kyto both were residents of the University Campus and rented out rooms there, as their actual homes were abroad. Here, they parted ways leaving Failey to her own journey home.
The sun had long since set when Failey locked her door behind her and threw herself at her sofa. She lived in a small house on the outskirts of Nikki Town in a Rural Suburb called Laloot. Laloot was renowned for its wineries and grape vines and the smell of cider drifted in through Failey's open window. She sighed, her stomach making its emptiness known to her in irritating ways before she finally subsided to her most primitive need and she sat up on the edge of her beige sofa and sighed heavily. Her house was really only three rooms. A lounge, which she used as her study, currently littered in biology and chemistry books and other assorted studying items, a bedroom which was relativity bland with only a queen bed, a wardrobe and a small set of drawers. Her bathroom connected to her bedroom and the kitchen was somewhere beneath her study books in the lounge.
It was her home though, and she loved it as it should be. She smiled at nothing; her memories of how she came to find and own this little house taunting her. Failey let her shoulder length auburn hair out and ran her hands through it, loosening it up a bit. Finally she turned to the direction the kitchen should be and cleared away a little room so she could prepare herself some dinner.
Suddenly Mire leaped on top of the bench, over balancing a few of the books and they crashed besides Failey's feet. She startled in surprise, dropping her plastic cup she was about to fill with water, and instead she turned on her pure black cat.
"Mire you rotten creature." She said in a taunting tone. "Look what you've done." Mire meowed in response, his tail in the air, his great big emerald eyes never leaving Failey. She sighed and scratched his chin, causing him to purr, before she finally bent down and picked up her cup and began preparing her beloved cat's dinner.
Saida's eyes gleamed for only a brief moment as they caught the light reflected from the kitchen in the house before her. Saida cocked her head to the side for a moment, watching the young woman in front of her and the attention she lavished on her cat. Saida sat completely motionless hidden in the dark shadows of a thick oak tree that provided ample cover. Saida watched as Failey prepared a bowl of fresh cut fish and some pre-cooked chicken pieces for Mire and set it on the floor besides her and resumed eating her own Tuna casserole. Saida didn't honestly know what to make of this scene. She had never before seen an act of selflessness, regardless how small, and stood now, watching this human woman feed her cat, before herself.
Saida turned her attention to the star lit sky, her great snout taking in a few short and sharp breathes, scenting the air for disturbances or trouble. She knew nothing could harm her, but her natural instincts screamed at her, and she succumbed to her natural predatory urges.
'A lot has changed, since last I woke.' Saida thought to herself. "These bipedal pests have evolved." She turned her attention once again to Failey and Mire, for only a moment before standing up, easily towering over the house and turned, her great tail swatting at a few insects that had settled on her flank before slipping back into the shadows, away from the house. She was heading towards the city, her mind running rampant with strange thoughts and questions. She had been awaken and for a reason as well. But she didn't know who had roused her or more importantly, why? She was the ultimate hunter, able to track down anything without fail and capture, attack and even kill her prey. She shook her thoughts and memories from her mind and crept through a vineyard, although it offered almost no protection.
It did not take her long to cover the 14 mile distance in merely a few minutes. Despite her twenty foot height and good thirty five foot length, Saida easily hid herself from sight, finally crouching in an alley way, her belly against the cold cement floor. She didn't know why she was waiting. All she knew was that she had to wait until she knew what it was she had been awoken for. So far she had seen hundreds of deeds and the people responsible that should have been hunted and destroyed, but she let them be, knowing these petty crimes were not why she was awake after nearly 600 years of peaceful slumber.
Failey froze. She had heard a strange sound from outside. Her eyes froze on her kitchen window and she stared outside. Try as she might though, all she could see was the pitch black depths of night. Mire mewed again and Failey turned to him. She glanced back up at her window, but the eerie feeling of being watched was already passing so she sighed and let it go, turning back to her dinner and reading a book on intestinal absorption and why it was so important.
Saida froze suddenly. Her body tense with the sudden power she felt. It passed as suddenly as it had come and most who could sense others life spirits, would merely pass it off with some half-hearted explanation. But Saida had felt it. It was immensely powerful, if only for a mere moment, and enough for her mind to lock onto it. She stood slowly to her feet, trying hard not to accidentally attract any of the human's attention. She had been watching them slowly running around the streets around her and even though a young couple had drifted into her alley way, she had not been noticed, blending in perfectly with the shadows and making no movement to attract their attention.
Saida couldn't stand to her full height, as her head would poke out above the two buildings besides her that had given her cover. She crouched, still towering over the people around her and with a single fluid motion, leapt to the roof of the building to her right. She was exposed here, but only to those flying over head, and even then, if she froze in the shadows of another building, she would be unseen. But the feelings itself of loosing her cover was unnerving so she moved quickly, leaping across the street and onto another building. She was unseen by the humans below, as her underbelly was darker than the night sky and she had made the 30 foot leap with out so much as a peep of a sound. She crouched in the shadows as she heard the approach of a helicopter before it landed on a distant building and she moved again.
She played a game of hopscotch on the roofs of the skyscrapers, making 40 and 50 foot leaps with little effort or sound, always heading towards the direction of the power she had felt. It had emerged, briefly, four more times, always in the same area, to the East near the edge of the heart of the city.
It took her merely minutes to cover the entire distance from one side of the immense city to the other and she crouched now, her massive head poking over the edge of the building into a dark alley way below. Her eyes, as unnatural as they were could not see anything out of the ordinary in the alley below. Her lips seemed to part for only a brief moment in a silent snarl as she abused herself mentally for loosing her prey. Suddenly though, she froze, something moving in the corner of her eye.
She cocked her head a little more to the side, her vision falling on what she was hunting. It too, was cunning and sneaky and had hidden in the furthest darkest corner of the alley way, completely motionless, watching the humans around. Saida observed the strange creature that slowly began to make its way towards the mouth of the alley way, hugging the shadows to keep his cover.
It was male, she knew, judging from his body shape and the strange scent he had, regardless how faint it was. He looked like some sick hybrid of a lizard, an insect and a human man. He had mottled green amour and light green skin. Pink slit cat like eyes, a strange leathery orange beak and shelled wings. His long tail twitched behind him as he stalked, primed for the kill. Saida watched for a moment not moving as he stopped finally on the edge of the alley way, completely concealed as he squashed himself against the wall. The occasional human walked past on the street opposite, some in pairs, some alone. They weren't a steady stream of people anymore, the hour becoming too late, but there were enough to come running and be a bother if one should scream.
Saida realized this is what the creature below did not want to happen. He wanted his privacy, but he was, nonetheless, hunting the humans. Saida glanced further up the street. There was a young woman walking alone, hugging her fur coat to her shoulders, her eyes on the path and her shoulders slumped. She was distracted, in her depression, and would be incredibly easy prey. She returned her gaze to the creature in the alley below and knew before he did, that she was going to be his next victim.
Sure enough, she watched him ready himself for the attack, his tail arching over his head, his arms extended at his side, ready to grab her and hold her mouth silent. The human woman walked into the path of his attack, and without hesitation or fail, the creature lunged and yanked her out of sight with such uncanny speed, Saida almost didn't see it. The woman didn't have a chance to scream, the creatures thick hands on her throat, pressing into her windpipe, making her barely audible to gasp. Saida cocked her head to the side in curiosity as the creature dove its tail deep into the woman's back, and he sighed in pure pleasure as the woman began to drain away in his arms.
'He absorbs humans.' Saida reasoned with herself. She watched the woman's eyes bulge as her body turned to liquid inside and soon, she was gone, leaving only her clothes to crumple empty to the alley floor. Saida noticed a few other ensembles of clothing and grinned to herself as the creature's power leapt suddenly for only a moment before he suppressed it again. He was growing stronger, by absorbing the human's bio-extract. Saida suppressed her urge to laugh at this. Draining the bio-extract from humans! She took her head away from the alley and snickered to herself quietly.
'The poor creature will be here for centuries before he grows considerably stronger!' She thought to herself, snickering some more. She calmed herself and stuck her head over the edge again, watching as he captured and absorbed another human. 'Especially at this pathetic pace.' She watched the creature as his power jumped again. It was the same as it had been previously, and she shook her head slowly. He was powerful enough as he was, and absorbing humans, especially at only one every few minutes, was getting him nowhere fast. It would be almost a waste of Saida's energies to fall upon this creature and tear him to shreds.
So she simply amused herself by watching him for a little longer.
Failey sighed nasally as she hung the phone receiver back on the mounted wall piece. Mire was sitting on the back of the sofa nearby, licking his black paw attentively. Failey sighed and ran her hands through her hair again.
"I'm sorry Mire, but I have to go out." Mire glanced up at her, giving her only a moment's thought. Failey sighed again and turned, heading towards her bedroom. She quickly tied her hair back in a tight pony tail and turned, not even glancing at her own reflection in her vanity mirror. She scooped up her backpack and her jacket, swinging it around her shoulders and left her house, locking the door behind her. She slipped her keys into the pocket of her jeans and began the ten minute walk to the train station.
It was 40 minutes later when Failey arrived at the Nikki Town train station. She was one of the only passengers at this late hour and she sighed heavily as she stepped off the train into the chrome cylinder like station, and saw that nobody was here to greet her. She made herself comfortable on a nearby seat and waited for a moment. She looked to her right as she heard the train take off and the heavy foot falls of someone running towards her. It was Kyto.
He covered the distance quickly, his long legs and powerful stride doing all the work for him, but even so, he was sweating and looked panicked.
"Kyto." Failey greeted, her curiosity bitting at her, wondering why she had been summoned here so urgently.
"Failey..." Kyto panted. "Nicky... Kidnapped..." Failey stared, not knowing what to say or do.
"What do you mean Nicky's been kidnapped?!" Kyto nodded frantically for a moment, his breathing heavy. Failey spared him a moment to catch his breathe before he continued.
"Nicky and I were on our way back to the Campus. Anyway, I stopped into the Coffee Plaza to get us a drink, and he stayed outside for a smoke. When I got back out, he was gone. I rang his mobile, and he didn't answer. He wouldn't walk off like that!" Kyto's voice was beginning to become hysteric. It took Failey a few more minutes to calm him down enough so she could talk to him.
"Did you try your dormitory room?" Kyto nodded. His eyes were wide with a sort of hysteric panic and Failey knew why. Kyto was a severe Xenophobic. He couldn't stand to be alone, and the realization that his closest companion, his roommate was no longer around was beginning to take its affect.
Failey frowned, and turned to the city.
"Show me where it happened."
Saida was beginning to understand this strange creature. He had begun to grow impatient and was becoming bolder, absorbing people faster and more often. His agitation amused Saida and she watched the etching lines that came with stress and pressure, marking his otherwise flawless skin. She snickered as every human was consumed, one of them had screamed, and the creature had panicked, hiding until he thought it was safe again.
He still did not realize that he was being observed, and his own arrogant foolishness was almost comical to Saida. She yawned silently, stretching her massive jaw. The lights from the nearby buildings glinted off of her massive 6 inch fangs. She shifted slightly, making herself more comfortable and sparing her body the cramps of sitting stiff for so long, and then, she resumed her observations. She had a good view from here. She could see the humans on the streets below, and by turning her gaze to her side, could watch the creature in the alley way, target them and slaughter them.
She glanced up the street, watching the humans. Only there were none left to watch. It was getting too late now, and most of them were sleeping. She returned her gaze back to the creature, curious as to what he would do now. He had a lot of patience, she realized as he only glanced around the corners once every now and then, watching for any more humans. None came.
"Argh!" The creature snarled, his voice deep and heavily rasped, resonating off the alley way walls. Saida cocked her head to the side, as she often did and watched. "Damned foolish humans!" He snarled, pacing the alley way as he yelled at himself. "Ah well! It makes little difference to me! It was about time, I grew serious on this matter now anyway!" Saida watched the creature. She was curious as to what he meant, by 'getting serious' and made no attempt to follow him as he suddenly tore off across the street into a hotel building. The silence and boredom of the night, struck her then, but she was considerably more patient, and she waited.
Her ears pricked suddenly and she turned her great head back down the street and watched as two young humans made their way hastily to a nearby building stopping. Saida heard them talk.
"This was where I left him!" Kyto said. He had finally calmed down enough to regain his smooth composure, but was still edgy. Saida recognized the young woman as the one she had been watching earlier and grinned to herself.
"And you were in there, right?" Failey asked, pointing to a now closed shop besides her. Kyto nodded. Saida smirked. She had watched her man like creature; slaughter the young boy they were now looking for. She glanced down into the alley way, and noticed the young boy's clothes, apart of a larger pile of many now. Saida watched the intuitive mind of the young girl as she peered around, almost as if she could see something that wasn't there.
She followed her own feet for a moment, pausing out the front of the alley way, only a few shops away. Saida watched as Failey's face distorted into complete horror. She had seen the clothes. She ran into the alley way, tearing at the heap and stopped short as she found the dark blue T-shirt with the slogan 'Before there was god, I was the one making babies' on the chest. It was the one Nicky had been wearing earlier that day. Kyto froze, staring at the gaping hole in the lower back and turned away in horror.
"Where is he then, if his clothes are here?" Kyto asked, knowing already what had happened, but refusing to accept it.
Failey growled to herself and threw the T-shirt on the ground.
"What did this?!" She roared. Saida cocked her head to the side again, curious as to what this human was going to do now. What shocked Saida was that this human immediately glanced up, peering around the edges of the alley way. She barely had the chance to duck out of sight before her gaze tore across the spot where she had been only a second before.
"WHO DID THIS?!" Failey suddenly roared.
The sudden screams from the hotel diverted everyone's attention to the hotel opposite. Saida peered back over the ledge again, watching the hotel doors as they burst open, a small handful of humans tearing out. One of the women was in hysterics, screaming that a monster had attacked her. Failey grabbed Kyto's wrist and yanked him into the shadows of the alley way as a massive, 7 foot creature burst out of a window on the 5th floor and landed smoothly on his feet, before galloping after the sad few humans that had escaped.
Failey clamped her hands over her mouth to prevent herself from being sick as she watched one of the escapees suddenly be thrust into the air, impaled gruesomely on the Monster's tail. The monster laughed his tail sucking frantically as the man became nothing more then empty clothes which fell to the ground. Kyto whimpered slightly at the nightmare before him. The last of the human survivors was impaled and drained away to nothing.
The monster laughed to himself and turned dramatically towards the alley way. His cat like eyes gleaming in the dark as he stared straight at Failey and Kyto.
"Hello, lunch." He said, snickering, he voice hideously haunting. He suddenly charged at the two, and Failey screamed, yanking Kyto's wrist as she broke into a run down the alleyway, turning the corner sharply before glancing behind her. The creature was not behind her, but she didn't stop, half dragging Kyto, half letting him run on his own as they broke out into the next street across from the one they were just on. She fell to her knees panting for a moment, Kyto, staring around in disbelief.
"What the hell was that thing?" He demanded. Failey glanced back at the alley way and gave a shriek, hurtling off down the street again as she spotted the monster's two gleaming eyes behind her, simply watching.
Kyto grunted as he broke into a forced run again, sparing only a glance at the creature behind them.
"Run, run as fast as you can! You can't escape me!" The monster sang after them. He was taunting them, playing with them. He snickered again, then burst from the shadows, his speed almost mind boggling. He closed the distance almost instantly, and stopped, right in front of Failey, causing her to crash into him. He threw his head back, laughing insanely, before he stopped and glared straight at her.
"Game over!" He snickered, his tail arching in the air behind him. Failey clenched her eyes shut, expecting a sudden rush of pain to overwhelm her. Instead she felt a sudden rush of air against her, blowing her backwards. It was followed by a tremendous roar, unlike anything she had ever heard before. She opened her eyes and gasped. Kyto was besides her, helping her to her feet, but she barely noticed, her eyes on the vicious mauling before her.
A creature, easily five times the size of an Elephant was tearing into the Monster that had attacked her. It's body was covered in silky short black fur, its head massive and sported on a thick muscular neck. It's body was long and slender, but it had a huge chest, rippling with muscles, as its two massive black furred wings opened, to help it gain its balance. It long lion like tail with the deep ebony tuft was thrashing around as the massive furred dragon like head with the massive jaws, full of hundreds of 6 inch fangs was snapping at the Monster that thrashed beneath it. The massive creature reared up, it's arms extended, flexing its massive 12 inch ebony claws which it brought down, tearing into the Monster beneath. Torrents of Olive blood and chunks of flesh were thrown high into the air, splattering the buildings and the road around.
"Run!" Kyto roared, not bothering with the awe of their savior and turned, bolting like a terrified rabbit. Failey stood to her feet, staring in a sort of awe, unable to control her legs and make them move. She was captivated by the scenes of this massive predator, tear its prey apart, almost effortlessly, its massive muscles rippling in unison and with such grace that she could do nothing else, but respect this creature, regardless how hideous it's motives.
Suddenly it stopped, satisfied with its prey. The Monster beneath had been complete torn apart, its ribcage shattered in such a brutal matter, its entrails sprayed across the road around. His entire body had been gutted and blooded and the worst part was his head had been severed, three long slash marks across his face. His head was in the middle of Saida and Failey and Failey stared at it, wide eyed, in horror. Saida turned, glaring unblinking at Failey. Failey stared back, her bottom lip trembling. Her knees had turned to jelly at the wrong moment, and now she wished she could run like the wind, away from here as Kyto had done.
Saida fell back to her forelegs, the earth around her trembling under her 40 ton weight. Slowly, Saida took a step towards Failey, her claws clattering against the road, scratching it. Failey let out a slight whimper and finally found her legs, managing a step backwards.
"Your name." Failey's eyes widened in shock. A female's voice with a Northern accent entered her head and she glanced around for a moment, before realizing it was actually the creature's that was approaching her.
"I... I...." Failey stuttered, unable to string together her words.
"Your name!" The creature demanded a little louder now. Failey swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded slowly.
"Failey..." She muttered, barely audible.
"I am Saida." Saida said, taking another step towards Failey, subconsciously, kicking Cell's head to the side. Failey swallowed again, following Cell's head for a moment as it landed in the gutter, to her right. She quickly diverted her attention back to Saida's massive Indigo eyes and her violet stripped body with the massive muscles, the massive wings, folded back at her side, the hooked talons, the bared fangs, the cunning mind and the furless snout with the hooked beak.
"It's... It is a pleasure... Saida." Failey didn't know why she chose to use her manners on Saida, but she had this strange thought that perhaps, she could convince Saida to let her live. Saida stopped slowly, and cocked her head to the side, staring with those wide eagles' eyes at Failey, as if considering her.
"Yes, it is a pleasure." Saida said after some time. "But do you know what would be the most pleasurable thing right now?" Saida's lips pulled back in a grin, baring the massive fangs. Failey swallowed and stared. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something tremble and shake as it began to grow.
"N... No, I don't. Enlighten me?" Failey asked, unable to hide the full extent of her trembling fear. Saida seemed to snicker at this and crouched low to the ground for a moment, resembling a cat, ready to pounce. She seemed to delay for a moment, before she roared and made her lunge forward. Only she screamed suddenly, the sound unearthly as Cell's tail dug deep into her flank.
Failey seized her opportunity and turned and ran, not stopping for anything. She didn't even glance back behind her as Saida and Cell fought again, Cell having the ability to regenerate as long as the main core of his body was in tact. And it had been, his head regenerating his body and healing his scars.
Saida screamed, feeling all the nerves in her right hind leg tingle and the squirt of her own warm blood run down her leg. Cell had dug his tail in deep, and she could already feel him trying to suck her up. She snarled glaring back at him, and with one fluid motion, lashed out at him with her injured leg, the 12 inch talons, grazing his lower stomach. He leapt back, tearing his tail free in the process and watched as she turned abruptly to face him. Although she was incapable of complete regeneration, as Cell was, she still possessed the natural ability to heal rapidly, and that's what she did, her muscles stitching themselves together. She snarled and charged Cell, leaping at him suddenly. He was ready though and dodged to the side, whirling around to lunge is tail into her back, but instead, he cried out. Saida was a very experience hunter, and knew how to fight rough, and she knew Cell would try to impale her again, so she had been ready.
She turned her massive head to Cell, snarling at him, his tail in her massive hand that had snapped behind her as she leapt, catching it before it pierced her. Cell tried to yank it free, but Saida was too powerful, digging her 40 ton bulk into the ground as she turned, still holding onto Cell's tail and with one fluid motion, yanked it from his back. He fell to his knees, screaming from the sudden agony. He had consumed most of his energies regenerating himself before, and now that Saida was alert to his tricks, he could not afford to consume more precious energy to re-grow his tail again. Instead he leapt back away from her, watching as her claws dug into the flesh of his flailing tail. It died almost instantly as she tore at the nerves and then tossed it to the side, leaving it to rot, with the rest of his previously mauled body.
She fell rose back to her hind legs, her wings partially opened to keep her balanced as her tail thrashed around behind her, expressing her agitation. Cell could sense the awesome powers this strange beast held within her body, and knew in his current state, he could not defeat her. Instead, his mind crawled for a way to escape her. He glanced into the sky, knowing she could just as easily see in the dark as she could in the light, and finally, he smirked. He leapt into the air, his wings opening to sail him high into the air. Saida watched, letting him go for a moment, before she snarled. Cell threw his hands to his face, squinted his eyes shut and roared in the night air.
"SOLAR FLARE!" Saida cried out in the dark depths of the night and turned her head away from the blinding light and snarled. She could already feel Cell's power suppressed and knew she had lost him this time. Instead, she waited until sight returned, before she turned and ran, leaving the city limits and vanishing into the shadows.